News & Notes

Published Wednesday, April 08, 2009

PV car show

The Ponte Vedra Beach Chamber of Commerce will host the 7th Annual Ponte Vedra Car Show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 19 at the Nocatee Community Park Community. More than 140 classic, custom and antique automobiles are expected to compete for trophies.

Judges including Dan Scanlan of The Florida Times-Union will determine the winners in categories including Best in Show and Best Paint and Interior. All entries are welcome; however, those from 1985 to the present will only be eligible for the People's Choice Award. Each participant will also have the opportunity to win raffle prizes including hotel stays and restaurant dinners. The first 150 cars to register will receive a bag full of car items and a souvenir car show item.

The cost to pre-register is $25 then an additional $20 if you wish to register multiple cars. Registration the day of the show is $30. If the show is rained out, you will receive a credit toward participating in next year's show if you pre-register.

If interested in exhibiting a business at the event, that cost is $120 and also includes a trophy sponsorship. For information on the different levels of sponsorship, including benefits and costs, contact Chamber Executive Director Ginger Lilley Peace at 285-2004. Registration for the show as well as directions to the park are available at www.pontevedrachamber.org/events.

Grand re-opening

The Betty Griffin House Thrift Shoppe in Plantation Plaza, State Road 13 North, is planned for 11 a.m. April 18. A series of special features have been planned for the occasion.

Contributions are always welcome. Call 230-5435 for truck pickup.

Store hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

As a private, nonprofit agency, Betty Griffin House provides emergency shelter to abused women, men and their minor children. Other support services available to shelter residents and non-residents include a 24-hour crisis hotline, individual and group counseling, forensic/medical rape exams and legal assistance. Confidential individual and group counseling is available in all parts of St. Johns County including Hastings, Ponte Vedra Beach, St. Johns, St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach.

The hotline is 824-1555.

Locate a Grant

Locate a Grant has been established as a project of Ancient city Enterprise Center Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The mission is to help local nonprofits locate funding sources.

For information, go to www.LocateAGrant.info or e-mail Jamie and Jo at admin@locateagrant.info.

Bird nesting

Residents and visitors who drive on St. Johns County beaches this summer are asked to be aware that local, state and federal authorities are staking off areas of the beach to prevent human disturbance of returning beachnesting birds. A number of birds use these areas for nesting, including the least tern and Wilson's plover.

Least terns nest in colonies primarily in areas where beach driving is allowed because they are seeking non-vegetated sand for nesting. Adult least terns will make a shallow scrape in the bare sand to deposit their eggs. It then takes about 21 days for the eggs to hatch and three weeks before the chicks are ready to fly.

Wilson's plovers nest in the vegetated areas in a similar fashion. However, adults must bring their chicks to the water's edge to teach them how to fish. When frightened, the adults will fly off the nest, leaving the sand-colored eggs exposed in the sun to roast or fall prey to larger birds.

Signs will be posted through August that forbid access to marked areas from vehicles, humans and dogs. All migratory birds are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the least tern is also currently listed as a threatened species under Florida State Law.

Any questions about the bird nesting areas may be directed to Habitat Conservation Coordinator Tara Dodson at 209-3740.

Briefs

* The GoldWing Road Riders Association Matanzas Wings Chapter of Palm Coast and St. Augustine will be gathering Monday at the Golden Corral, 225 Cypress Edge Drive in Palm Coast. Social time and dinner will be at 6:15 p.m. with the meeting following at 7:15 p.m. For information, contact the chapter director Bill Bowman at 347-1181 or bowmanwl@yahoo.com.

* Sertoma 2nd Time Around Store will have $5 big sales every Friday and Saturday during April at 1690 U.S. 1 South, Suite H, between World Gym and Home Depot. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Included are shoes, clothing, linens, purses and books. Excluded are boutique items. Funds support local people and pets causes.

* The Textile Guild of St. Augustine is dedicated to preserving the lost arts from colonial times such as weaving, spinning, basketry, lace-making and natural dyeing. The guild meetings are open to the public. The next meeting is at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in the Lightner Museum Building. A marshall will present a program on the concept of LifeQuilts. For information, call Maurine Boles at 829-6728.

* Members of St. Augustine Southwest Chapter 2276 will meet at 1 p.m. Friday at the T.G.I. Fridays Restaurant for lunch. For information, call Bill Harkness at 797-5295.

* There will be a low-cost pet shot clinic sponsored by the SPCA from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Big Chief Farm Supply, 2300 Reid St., in Palatka. Rabies shots will cost $6. A dog 5-in-1 distemper/parvo combo will be $9; a cat 4-Way distemper combo will be $9; feline leukemia shot is $12; bordatella is $11; heartworm testing is $15; and deworming is $5. Heartgard products will be available for purchase. All vaccinations will be administered by a licensed vet. The clinic is licensed and permitted. Only cash will be accepted. Call (386) 748-8993 for questions.

* SAFE will have animals available for adoption from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church, at the corner of King and Riberia streets. Dogs looking for homes include poodle, shitzu, black Lab, yellow Lab, hound mix, Pekinese, doxie mix, basset mix, Chihuahua and terrier mix.

Cats will include 8-week-old kittens, manx, bobtail and Siamese mix.

SAFE pets are rescued from shelters when their time is up.

All are spayed/neutered, have all vaccinations and are on flea control. Dogs are checked for heartworms, and cats are checked for FIV/aids.

SAFE pets reside in foster homes, so most are housebroken or crate-trained.

SAFE will have raffle tickets for a 3-day, 2-night stay at Hammock Beach Resort. This includes golf. Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5.